Out of Time
by Mustard Lady
Summary: What must have been going through his tortured mind at this critical point? That he'd failed. Sora's closing thoughts as Xehanort puts him to sleep. Takes place during DDD.


**Are you excited for KH3 this Saturday?! Once my sister introduced me to KH, I was blown away by the profound story-line and the incredible characters and the AMAZING music! I don't own KH.**

 **Sora is my favorite character. I've really been wanting to write this fic for a while, and finally finished it. Reviews would be helpful. I think the end of DDD was very well done!**

 **I felt so bad for Sora as he didn't know what he was doing, and I'm glad that he did not get himself into the darkness intentionally. But it shows that even Sora is not perfect. And then Riku, someone who has been to where he is now, becomes the stronger friend, and has to rescue him. That was a twist I did not see coming, but it made the story very good.**

 **Sorry for the spiel. Anyway, my sister and I are big KH fans. I don't know who originally came up with ideas for the story plot of Kingdom Hearts, but it is incredibly epic!** **And I'm thankful.**

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Xemnas faded into a black mist and vanished from sight. Sora panted heavily, still clutching his Keyblade. But his legs felt so weak. His head swarmed terribly. He finally just fell back and collapsed to the ground, breathing hard. Then a black portal appeared, indicating another Organization-13 Nobody arriving. _Not again._ Sora thought, but he had no physical strength left in him to go up against him in combat. Sora blinked when he saw who it was! "You...again." Sora panted.

It was Young Xehanort. "You just make it too easy." He said casually. "I know you think you've won, but you lost the moment the dived this far in."

 _W-what?_ Sora gulped.

"You're in the deepest pit of slumber, and you've worn yourself down to nothing. There's _no_ returning, to the world above."

Sora's hear jumped into his throat. "W-what do you mean?" He asked timidly.

Young Xehanort narrowed his eyes. He was clearly enjoying this moment. "We told you." He said in a know-it-all tone of voice. "It was not the Sleeping Keyholes that guided you. They are not the reason you are here." He smirked. "You've been on a path, one _we_ laid out for you. That sigil on your chest is the proof." He pointed with his index finger.

" _What?"_ Sora glanced at his chest and saw a large X on it! He hadn't noticed it before. He gazed, petrified, and anxiously tried to cover it up with his hand, hoping it would disappear. But it was useless. He was a marked wielder.

"See? That sigil, the X, it tells us where you are at all times." Young Xehanort explained. "You wondered aloud before-why we kept showing up where you were. It's because we need you, Sora." Sora stared blankly with confusion and fear on his face. How could this have happened? What was happening to him? His vision was become blurry! What would happen to him now? He couldn't get away, he didn't have the strength. And apparently, these guys had really done their homework in insuring that he wouldn't escape, no matter what or how hard he tried.

"Or, to be more precise, we need what will be left of you: the thirteenth dark vessel."

 _Nooo!_ Sora's mind screamed. _No, you can't! This isn't happening. It can't be happening!_ "Why...I..." he stammered.

"Why was it assured you would come here today? Because I followed my destined path, and I am here looking at _you_ right now. You can move through time. But time itself is immovable."

Sora's vision was becoming more and more blurred. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head, trying to rid himself of this nightmarish mind game being relentlessly played on him, but the harder he fought not to believe it, the more feeble his body felt.

Young Xehanort more than happily continued his monologue. "Today, all of my selves throughout time were meant to gather here, and to welcome you, Sora, as our thirteenth member." He stooped down next to Sora, who had given up struggling and just rested his head on the ground, his eyelids heavy. "These facts cannot be changed."

If Sora was stronger, he would have been weeping. But he was so drained that his body wouldn't even will him that. His mind was crying out in dismay. _All this time...I've been chasing dreams? So, that means-I...I...I_ _didn't_ _unlock the seven keyholes? But-then...all I did, all I've been doing...this test...it was all for nothing?! They've been watching me the whole time._ _All those worlds...I...I tried to protect them! And...now...this was all a waste? I...I failed...I failed all of them, my friends! Those in the other worlds...they were depending on me. And I...failed them._

"What's...gonna happen..." He asked aloud, his arms splayed out as he helplessly lay there prostrate on the ground.

"I have now told you all that I know. We are all here." Young Xehanort said wistfully. "And now what the future holds in store is beyond my sight. I will return to my own time, and grow into the man who becomes all these others." Sora's body was subtly started to fade as the all too familiar mist of darkness was smoking around him. "While I know this future now that I have lived it, returning to my own time will erase the memories and experiences I have gained here. Still, my appointed path is now etched in my heart, which will first lead to me to seek the outside world."

"Riku..." Sora pleaded. He could feel himself slipping away, into deep slumber. Into... _darkness!_

"Your heart will sleep forever in the folds of darkness."

 _But I thought-no! No! I can't go to sleep. I'll never wake up! Someone, help me!_ Sora gave one last struggle to remain conscious, but it was slipping fast like sand in an hour glass. He could barely see at all.

"And your body will be another vessel, for me." Young Xehanort grinned with satisfaction. "So light gives way to darkness." He waved his hand over Sora's eyes. _"Goodnight...Sora."_

 _No! Gotta...can't see...protect the worlds...Riku...keep them safe...they need...you...Riku..._

Sora's mind shut down as he was placed in deep slumber, in the folds of darkness.


End file.
